The Apprentice
by RebeccaRoy
Summary: The Second War with Voldemort is over, Voldemort and all his faithful death eaters are dead. When Hermione gets an offer to work at a prestigious company with Severus Snape things get a bit interesting.
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer:_

_I do not own the characters of Harry Potter, these belong to that wonderful author JK Rowling and the various publishing companies used to publish her works. I am however borrowing them, no not to make money but for fun and fun only. _

_Summary:_

_The Second War with Voldemort is over, Voldemort and all his faithful death eaters are dead. When Hermione gets an offer to work at a prestigious company with Severus Snape things get a bit interesting. Will they become colleges, friends or more?_

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Prologue: Riddle Graveyard, August 1997:

Severus knew he was dead, he knew it deep inside, yet that did not scare him, not any more. He longed for death, he had failed after all and soon he would be killed by Voldemort for his betrayal. He did not believe he had not betrayed Voldemort, it was the other way around, he had given his all to the bastard and asked but for one thing and Voldemort had lied to him, had told him he would spare Lily and then he had turned and planned to kill her, had killed her. Severus knew he would not live to watch Voldemort die but he had not expected to live anyway. He was on his knees hands bound behind him with Voldemort over him amusement on his face while Rabastan was holding Hermione Granger in a vice like grip.

"So you care more for the mudblood than our noble cause?" Voldemort said.

"I care more for the preservation of our kind, your way leads us to discovery by the muggles and death of our world!" Severus shot back, he was not Slytherin for nothing, he would plant as much seeds of doubt he could before he died. "You are not Lord Voldemort, he died, you are an imposter!"

"How dare you Severus you will pay for that!" Voldemort snarled, "_Crucio_!"

Severus normally would have cried out in pain but he refused to, he would not give this monster that benefit. He just wished Granger was not here to see this or end up dead by the hands of these death eaters. That was what had got him found out, he could not let them take her and as such he was exposed as the spy. His trying to Apparate away with her had failed and now he would be forced to watch as Hermione Granger was tortured raped and killed. Finally the curse was lifted off him and he felt blood dripping down his face from where he had bit his lip so hard to keep from crying out.

"Bring them, I think a bit of fun is in order." Voldemort said.

"Why don't you sod off?" Hermione snarled lashing out to get Rabastan hard in his groin causing him to let go of her, "damn Harry was right, you really are ugly!"

"How dare you, get her!" Voldemort said just as Hermione took out a handgun, (she was muggleborn after all and did know how to use it) and managed to take down three death eaters before Voldemort summoned the weapon from her. "So you dare play with fire sticks do you?" Voldemort said raising his wand, "let's see how you like this."

"Go to hell." Hermione said getting to Severus grabbing him by his robes, "you balls-less undead bastard!"

Severus felt a jerk by his navel and the scream of rage from Voldemort before he was whisked away to safety. He wanted to laugh at the intelligence of one very bright witch but he bit back a groan as he landed in the hall of Grimmauld place on his knees. At once he felt someone unbinding his hands and he rubbed his wrists getting slowly to his feet. He realized where he was and his black eyes widened in fear for a second but he managed to turn his features so he showed anger as Sirius Black came up from the kitchens to see Severus and Hermione here.

He was a taller man than Severus and that was saying something as Severus stood at six feet tall, and was around a hundred and seventy five pounds, most of that good lean muscle from his years of potions making and boxing that he used instead of alcohol to ease his frustrations as a professor of young witches and wizards. Where Sirius had wavy near black hair, a neatly trimmed goatee and gray eyes in a lightly tanned face Severus was different. His hair was lank, greasy and raven black, his eyes black too and both this and his large hooked nose dominated his sallow sinned face. His thin lips thinned even more as he saw Sirius was armed and he was not, but Hermione was with a second wand and she stepped between the men.

"Don't you dare hurt him Padfoot." Hermione snarled, "or I will make what I did to you in the shack look painless in comparison."

"Ah right," Sirius actually paled and Severus saw him give a quick look at his manhood before he glared at Severus, "what happened?"

"Professor Snape saved my life and honor." Hermione said, "instead of letting the death eaters have their way with me he fought for me."

"I seem to recall you had the portkey and you kicked Rabastan." Severus said looking a bit sulky.

"Oh yes well but you distracted them with your words, very smart sir." Hermione said, "I believe little Tommy Riddle was too upset to think clear. Harry was right about him on that regard, when he gets really mad he just cannot think clear."

"Neither can Harry." Severus snapped.

"Well that was true at one time, before Ginny started to work with him." Hermione said.

It was only too true, when Harry came to Grimmauld place just before the start of his fifth year he had not been in the best of moods. Ginny had heard him yelling at his friends and she saw red, she had thrown everyone out of the room, set up privacy charms and let him have it. No-one but Harry and Ginny knew what Ginny had fully said but two hours later a red-eyed Harry had come out of the room with an equally red-eyed Ginny and Harry had apologized to his friends. Something had changed that day for him too, even when he went back to school and had to face Umbridge in school he had done so calmly and no matter how she tried she could not get Harry in detention and oh how she had tried!

Ginny had even spoke to her friend Luna and let Hermione speak to Rita and every rule, decree and even detention Umbridge pulled the _Quibbler _printed. That had led to Sirius hiding Xeno Lovegood in his house along with his printing machines in the large unused part of the basement and he was still here safe and secure able to print the truth with Rita actually having more fun cutting down the corrupt ministry than harming Harry. Getting to know the young man had not hurt either and she saw the boy behind the fame. Even so Harry still had problems keeping Voldemort out and not from lack of trying. When Severus was asked to teach him Occulumency he found the teen boy was already meditating and when he told him to clear his mind Harry had understood what he meant and had some impressive shields by the time Severus was done with him.

"Why did you have a portkey?" Severus asked.

"Neville's idea sir." Harry said walking down the stairs and up to Hermione giving her a hug," we were going spare when you disappeared in Diagon Alley Hermione!"

"I am fine, professor Snape saved me, he got Tommy to see red and I was able to make my move and get us out of there." Hermione replied. "He was really brave, he did not even cry out when Voldemort tortured him."

"Stop acting like a bloody fan girl Miss Granger I did what I had to!" Severus snapped.

"Oh you might want to step back." Hermione said, "I had a timed portkey on my handgun."

"Miss Granger!" Severus said in shock, "the dark lord could be coming here!"

"Oh bugger." Hermione said just as Harry had his wand in one hand and something heavy in the other.

Everyone pointed their wand to where a figure landed with a thump on the floor and breathed a sigh of relief when a figure that was not Voldemort surfaced and several wards went up that bound him in place securely. Hermione walked up carefully and took the mask and hood off the death eater and glared at the long sliver blond haired pale faced of the head Malfoy family, one Lucius Malfoy. He glared at her with his cold gray eyes but she just walked up to him and slapped him across the face. She disarmed him and spoke in the ancient tongue of the Celts and Lucius was freed from the very powerful wards she had created with runes. Severus saw flaming red hair and saw Ginny Weasley storm up to Lucius Malfoy and in a move that made every male wince she kicked him in the groin, extremely hard. Lucius gave out a pained squeak and went down like a ton of bricks, even the once insane portrait of Mrs. Black was impressed.

"Well you do know how to handle the men, I am impressed." She said (a threat of paint remover had got her to behave) "he did something to deserve that?"

"Yes, he tried to kill me when I was twelve." Ginny said.

"Ginny that was evil." Harry said backing up as she walked by him, "I mean he did deserve to be hit but not like that!"

"Sure he did." Hermione said looking down at Lucius, "I would have done worse if I were Ginny."

Severus believed that, he was not at all kind when he drug Lucius to his feet who looked as if he would get sick and with a few threats he drug him down the stairs to the kitchen. Once there he slammed the pureblood into a chair making sure to hit him a few times as he bound him securely. Once done he let Sirius force Veritaserum down him and the questioning began, he was not surprised that Lucius was anything but loyal to Voldemort.

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Hogwarts, July 1998:

Severus sat in the headmaster's office relaxed and relieved the war was finally over. Voldemort was dead by the hand of Harry Potter and all the loyal followers of Voldemort were dead too. Three quarters of the world population of werewolves who had made the mistake of following Grayback were dead with their leader. Six clans of vampires, all the Dementors, ten giants and all but two Lethifold as Voldemort had unwisely recruited them and they had died before they could even fight as the climate was too cold for them. He was considered a war hero now, a clever Slytherin who had managed to get out of his service to Voldemort on a technicality and helped Harry Potter in winning the war.

A wizard sat next to him, he ten years older than Severus and like Severus he still looked young and in the peak of health. His unruly brown hair hung to his shoulders and he was a stocky man and was shorter than Severus by quite a few inches. He had been an Auror just like his famous father Alastor "mad-eye" Moody but he was looking for something much more peaceful now the war was over and as Severus did not wish to teach anymore Alexander Moody was going to take over as head of Slytherin and the defense teacher. The Moody family came from a long line of Slytherins and they were known for being just along with being cunning and crafty. Alex Moody was just what Slytherin needed at this time. Percy Weasley happily was going to be the potions master and Remus Lupin would be working his dream job that of History professor.

"Well my boy I will miss you." Dumbledore said, "you sure you wish to leave us?"

"Yes, I am not cut out being a professor all my days." Severus replied, "Alex will do good, he has made such an impression on Minerva already."

"Aye that I have!" Moody said grinning, "she loves me and I have to keep the Slytherin tradition up after all, the greatest house here after all, if not for Severus and Lucius who knows where we would be and both were Slytherin!"

"So what will you do?" Dumbledore asked Severus.

"I am going to travel a bit and then go to college, you are aware I have my muggle Os and have worked on my muggle degrees, I have a bachelors in chemistry as you know."

"Yes my boy I do."

"I need more, if I am to compete with the younger generation, I start this fall at Yale in America in my masters program."

"Wonderful my boy!" Dumbledore said, "I am happy for you."

Dumbledore really was, Severus was a very talented boy and he really had been stifled in the school. Dumbledore had done all he could to help his boy go to conferences and such in the summers he taught and he helped him with his many connections as well. Many people he gave a second chance do did not use it as wonderfully as his boy did and Dumbledore knew his boy was the most loyal of all. He was glad that Severus was finally going to living his life and that things had worked out so well for him. Severus had a bit of money set aside from his teaching and from the sale of his house, as the area he had grown up in was undergoing a renovation he had sold his house for far more than what it was worth and would use it on his travels and studies.

He would miss the school, but not so much as to want to stay and teach, he was done with that. He left the office and knew that his new life awaited him and he was going to enjoy this summer very much. He traveled through Europe first then North Africa and then to Asia and Australia and finally to America. His trip took him a full year and he learned so much of both the magical and mundane of the world. The storage area of his trunk was full of books and he had even made money on a few conferences he was asked to speak at to say nothing about the monies he still got from his improvements on the Wolfsbane and the Vampire vaccine he had perfected. He did go back to school and got his muggle doctorate and finally he found a job in England that suited him very well. He was sure it would change his life, he was just not expecting the changes that followed.

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_So that is the prologue, the real story of course starts in chapter one._


	2. Chapter 1: The Offer

Chapter One: The Offer:

London England March 2004:

Hermione sat in her small but cozy flat brushing Crookshanks and working out a rather troublesome knot in his fur. As she eased it out he relaxed and purred letting her know she had not hurt him at all and he was glad for his human to take care of those knots he could not groom out. She had just finished her schooling this last year and had been working part time until just the right offer came along. There were lots of offers, she had turned down the ministry time and again over the years. At first Ron had thought her mental but he had respected her decision in the end, he was now an Auror and a very good one at that rising to a leadership position as there were very few who could match his strategy and wits. He was married now and had been for two years to Susan Bones and Hermione was very glad he had found her. Oh they had dated but it had never amounted to anything in the end, they were very good friends still and always would be.

What had surprised Hermione was the marriage of Luna Lovegood and Collin Creevy, they turned out to be perfect together. He worshiped the ground she walked on and even with his glass eye in place of the one he lost Luna saw him as her handsome knight. They were so sweet together and again Hermione was happy for them. Others had married too, Draco had got over the loss of Pansy Parkinson in the final battle and married Astoria Greengrass, Fred and George had married the muggleborn sisters Alice and Amy Spinet who were a few years older than them and had helped contribute to Weasley Wizarding Wheezes or WWW as most called it. The last wedding had been the best for Hermione and she thought it had taken a long time to get here, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley had finally got married on Valentine's day. Hermione had been a bridesmaid showing up in her best dress robes and so very happy for her friends.

"Crookshanks I wonder what offer I should take do you have any idea?" Hermione asked the bandy legged, orange squash-faced cat.

Crookshanks just blinked at her slowly and thumped his long tail on the desk then he looked out the window as an owl came to the window.

"You are so smart, maybe this is the offer I have been dreaming of." Hermione said.

She opened the window with her wand and the owl landed on the table sticking out it's foot so Hermione could take the letter. She stroked the owl and gave it some treats and water and with one last hoot it took off out the window and she closed it while reading the letter. A smile lit up her face, Harry had really done it, he had got a wing added to St. Mungos that dealt with the modern day scourge in both the magical and muggle world that of cancer. Witches and wizards could use magic to be sure but they were human and as such they suffered much of the same diseases that the muggles could get. There were a few diseases that only the magical world would get but most diseases were mundane and cancer was one of the worst. Harry had spent the past few years abroad becoming a doctor at Cornell university. Hermione had stayed in England and had studied hard to become both a potions mistress and get a muggle doctorate in chemistry.

Everyone had been surprised at Harry's choice in his seventh year, he had started to study very hard long before that getting his OWLs and Os but he was a man possessed during his seventh year. It was that year his cousin Dudley had been diagnosed with _Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia _and it was found despite the chemo and radiation to need a bone marrow transplant. Harry had spoke with the doctors and found his blood did match his cousins, however he was worried that as he was magical it would harm his cousin. To his surprise the doctor was a wizard too and there were rituals that would keep the magic out of his bone marrow so not to harm his cousin. That had opened up a new world to Harry and he had gone on to become a doctor and an Oncologist. He had come back to England to join a team devoted to fighting cancer in magical peoples and help find a world-wide cure. Hermione saw the position was for an Apprentice at Gorsemoor Labs, she wrote out her reply to accept this offer.

"So we could be moving my dear." Hermione said to Crookshanks.

"Meow?" Crookshanks said.

"Yes Birmingham, this will be fun, oh I am going to enjoy this!"

Hermione sent her letter off the next morning and went about her working knowing that this might be her last days working at the Apothecary but she did not mind. She came home that evening and saw a snowy owl waiting for her, she let Hedwig into the apartment and took the letter from her. She fussed over the snowy owl for a few moments before she saw that she had an interview the very next day. She went to pick out her formal business dress robes and grinned, she wondered who she would be apprenticed to. These robes were navy blue in color, they were high collared, long sleeved and fitted closely to the body coming to a point just below the waist with a full skirt to just above her feet. The sleeves were close fitting to the elbow and loose to the wrist showing off the dark blue cotton under dress under it. She was looking forward to tomorrow and she hoped she would impress whoever she saw.

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Birmingham Gorsemoor Research Laboratories: March 2004:

Hermione landed with a thump and stayed on her feet, she had wondered why she was given a portkey instead of going through the floo. She brushed off her navy robes with matching cloak and pushed back the hood, she had braided her long hair and did it up in a bun on her head, it kept her hair well under control that way. She saw she was on the outskirts of Birmingham right up against the mountains and was in the courtyard surrounded by four charming buildings each four stories high made of warm gray stone with slate roofs. She saw that each building had trim around their windows in different colors, one building had green, another yellow, another red and finally, the one she was headed for with blue trim.

She entered the building and gave the young witch behind the desk her name and sat to wait for Harry as he had got together the top minds together to solve the problem of cancer and this building was theirs to use on the Gorsemoor campus. She stood and smiled as Harry came up, clad in high collared robes of dark green that went well with his eyes. He smiled at Hermione and took her hand and then gave what he saw as his sister a hug. He looked so good, marriage really was doing him well, he looked relaxed but had not put on any weight, but Hermione was sure he would as Ginny was a great cook, just like her mother and in fact had gone into business with her mother at her baking business Molly's Most Marvelous Baking.

"How was the honeymoon?" Hermione asked.

"Wonderful, Disney World was amazing, muggles sure can do magic without magic." Harry said, "Ginny loved it, though she did make me go on this horrible ride called _Tower of Terror_ it's not funny Hermione, I prefer to be in charge of flying when I fly and this thing dropped us several times."

"Sounds as if you had fun." Hermione said, "so what exactly will I be doing here?"

"Well you will work under the best potions master I could find." Harry said, "he is a bit sarcastic, moody and grumpy."

"I have no idea who you could be talking about." Hermione said knowing at once who it was and her heart leapt at being able to work under Severus Snape, "Horace Slughorn?"

"Are you mad? No I will give you another clue, he was our potions teacher in school, does not care for Gryffindor and calls me brat." Harry said smirking.

"Indeed." Severus said from behind Hermione. "You are a brat and always will be Harry."

"Severus Snape I would like you to meet Hermione Granger and vice-versa." Harry said.

She turned slowly doing her best to not look nervous and look up at Severus. She noticed two things, one she was taller so that he did not seem a giant over her and two he looked healthier than she had ever seen him. He was still in black from his high collared inner robes to his sweeping black outer academic robes and dragonskin boots. He smiled and took Hermione's hand and she was surprised at how gentle but firm it was and warm and callused. He seemed less tense than he had in school and seemed almost relaxed here. He regarded her coolly and she returned the look calmly, he had ceased to terrify her around her sixth year when she started to have other feelings. No she would not go there, after all she was but a child to a man, a wizard like Severus Snape and always would be.

"I am honored to be here, to work under you sir." Hermione said.

"You have done quite a bit of work outside of school." Severus said, "creating a calming drought that would work on children and not have adverse effects and your combination of chemistry and potions has been impressive."

"Thank you sir, I still have much to learn." Hermione said wanting to show Severus she was not the annoying know-it-all of her youth, "the more I learn the less I know."

"Very wise words, I believe it was Socrates who said that first." Severus said. "Come let me show you the labs and the library."

"I would enjoy that very much." Hermione said smiling.

She followed Severus down a hall and into a well stocked lab that would not have been out of place in either the magical or muggle worlds. Hermione could feel the protection wards that kept any explosions within the room and she saw that the room was lit by soft "muggle light bulbs" and a computer near the door. The rest of the room looked as if it could have dropped out of the middle ages with stone walls, heavy oak tables and a large stone fireplace. Everything was in order, there was not a potion or ingredient out of place and Hermione was very impressed by the ingredients organized alphabetically with clear labels on the front of each. Severus led Hermione to a small office with only a desk, chair, bookcases and computer on the desk and a fireplace but nothing else.

"This will be your office, you can decorate it as you wish within reason." Severus said.

"Thank you sir." Hermione said, "but professor why do I get an office?"

"You are my assistant, that means you need an office, Potter did you not tell her what her job entailed?" Severus said glaring at Harry.

"Well I wanted to leave that to you sir." Harry said, "you are better at that sort of thing."

"Very well, your duties will include research, writing up our findings and when needed, you will accompany me to conferences, also I need a few brewers the last ones did not work out."

"Well I cannot see why, you threw vials at their heads and threatened to chop them up into potions." Harry said looking amused.

"They were dunderheads, how they ever got a potions mastery is beyond me." Severus replied.

"I could ask Dennis Creevy, he just got his potions mastery and really his is a genius with potions." Hermione replied.

"When you move in to your apartments and start working you can call him in for an interview." Severus said then a thought struck him, "please tell me he is not like his brother."

"No Dennis is not like Colin was, Colin has calmed down, Luna tamed him and Dennis after his first year really settled down." Harry said.

Hermione smiled and liked how Harry and Severus got along now. It was Sprout of all people who had finally had enough of those two bickering and fighting and had locked them in a room with no wands to work out their problems. Hermione had wanted to get them out of the room but Ginny had sided with Sprout and so all Hermione could do was sit in the sitting room at Grimmauld place while Severus and Harry screamed at each other for several hours in the locked parlor. Even with a silencing charm she could still hear them and even Sirius was concerned and not just for Harry which showed he was turning out to be a good man. Finally after hours both came out and they looked pale, red-eyed but they refused to be separated and from that day forward they had created the friendship they had to this day.

"So you want the job?" Harry asked, "you know how Severus is you sure you want to work with him."

"Yes of course!" Hermione said, "I look forward to working and learning under professor Snape."

"You will have to call me Severus if you work for me." Severus said, "after all we are as close to equal as we ever will get. I of course am and always will be the best."

"Of course Severus." Hermione said, "when will you like me to start?"

"Two weeks to get you settled in?" Harry said.

"Two weeks it is then." Hermione said hugging her brother in all but blood.

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_Severus is not out of character here, he is a man who no longer has to teach or spy. He survived the war, is well liked now and so he is more relaxed. He is still Severus as you can see in how he treats Harry, yes they like each other now but both love to be sarcastic here. _


	3. Chapter 2: Settling In

Chapter Two: Settling In:

Hermione brushed a lock of her bushing hair out of her face and looked around the small cottage she had here on the edge of the labs. It was bigger than her last apartment with two bedrooms, one large bath, a living room, small dining area and kitchen with a combination of muggle and magical things that she loved. Her house elf Nina stood before her waiting to see what her mistress wished her to do. Hermione had finally sat down with Dobby and found out the truth about house elves. Long ago they had bonded with humans for protection and promised to work for them and in fact they loved to work, to cook, clean and wait on their witches and wizards.

Hermione had found a few ancient texts written by Helga Hufflepuff herself on the little creatures and Hermione found that before Helga had offered them safety at Hogwarts their lives were horrible and short and very violent. They were not to be dressed in rags made of towels and pillowcases and they were not to be beaten or tortured as they had been. So Hermione had changed tactics and instead of trying to free them she did her best to show people that house elves should not be tortured and abused while they served but they should treat them as they would like to be treated. She had taken on Nina and put her in a uniform (not clothes no) of a simple black tunic, hose shoes and cap (house elves preferred gender neutral uniforms, after all only they needed to know which was which in sex) perched on her head.

"Does mistress need anything more help moving in?" Nina asked.

"No Nina, if you could prepare lunch please?" Hermione said smiling as the little elf practically skipped off to happily prepare lunch.

"Now have you settled in my dear?" Hermione said to Crookshanks who was exploring every part of the cottage. "This is will be so much better for you, you can run as you like no horrible cars."

Hermione looked around the small cottage, it was two levels with the living room and kitchen on the first floor with two bedrooms and a full bath on the second. The larger of the two bedrooms faced the forest and it was where her large four poster bed was set up. A quilt that her mother had lovingly made for her covered the bed, it had roses in pink, pale blue, lavender and yellow sewn from scraps of material and was trimmed in a light green. Flowered curtains covered the windows and a rag rug from Molly Weasley was on the dark wooden floor, a simple charm had added white and pale pink strips to the walls. The smaller bedroom had a double bed with a charming white duvet on it. The bathroom up here had a large tub/shower combo, sink and toilet.

It was the main floor Hermione liked very much, the living room was of good size, it had a fireplace and room for her couch, two wingback chairs side tables, a coffee table and of course bookshelves and a small TV in the corner on a shelve above her impressive stereo. The furniture was cream with pale pink roses on it with matching curtains at the windows. The kitchen was surprisingly modern complete with a microwave over the stove and it too had a fireplace. An oak table with four matching chairs rounded out the space. Hermione looked out the front door and smiled, she knew Nina loved to garden and she would let her pick herbs and such to plant here and tend as it would make her very happy. She was watching this and saw a stocky Siamese cat with fawn coat, deep blue eyes and dark brown points. Another identical cat was slinking in the wild untamed front garden and Hermione folded her arms glaring at the two "cats".

"All right you two, turn human now." Hermione said and with a pop to identical red-head men down to the last freckle and grin came to view.

"See brother dearest she knows us too well." Fred said.

"I know but it was worth a try, she would never have expected us to come here like this." George said.

"She is right here and what did you do to your wives?"

"Nothing, just wanted to tell you the good news." Fred said.

"Really good news."

"After you tried to prank me, what good news?" Hermione said.

"I am crushed, simply crushed we would never prank you would we George?"

"No Fred we would not."

"What is the news?" Hermione said.

"Alice,"

"and my dear Amy are pregnant!" George finished.

"Oh that is great news!" Hermione said grinning, "I do hope you both get twins, it would serve you both right!"

"Yes it would." Harry said walking up with Ginny. "You two would deserve it."

"Well that would be three sets of twins then." Ginny said. "Harry and I could not wait, we are having a boy and girl."

"Well then this calls for cake, chocolate I think." Hermione said.

"Nina will be happy to make cake Nina knows Ginny likes Nina's chocolate cake!" Nina said bouncing with joy at the news.

The twins could not stay as they had just popped by to give the good news and had to get back to their shop. Hermione invited Harry and Ginny into the house, they chatted until it was time for lunch and Hermione was amused at how Nina made sure Ginny ate well and drank plenty of milk. Ginny would not have to worry about morning sickness as she had been given ground ginger root to take three times daily that cut down on any sickness, it was something that magical and non magical humans shared in healing. Nina brought out a two layer chocolate cake with blackberry jam in the middle frosted with rich whipped cream topped with shaved dark chocolate and blackberries. While Nina cleared up the kitchen they retired to the living room to talk over cups of hot tea and Hermione was fully satisfied with how her life was turning out. She had the job she wanted, her friends were happy and married and most were expecting children and she got to work with Severus Snape. Yes live indeed could not get any better for her.

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_So there is a nice little cottage for Hermione. I had to make the Weasley twins Animagmus and what better than two Siamese cats? Ginger root is well known by the Chinese to help with digestion, nausea, heart burn, morning sickness and motion sickness, I can attest to it working so well I never take anything but ginger root for any digestive or motion sickness ills and one of my friends who were pregnant who took this were less likely to get sick. In my opinion this stuff really works!_

_Now as for the chocolate cake, it's easy to make and yes I do take shortcuts in making it. It's a sponge cake as most cakes in America are and of course I will include the directions to making it as it is really an awesome cake:_

_You will need:_

_Vegetable oil and flour for dusting pans_

_1 package (18.25 ounces) plain devil's food cake mix (yes I used cake mix, it turns out way easier at a mile high where I live)_

_3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder _

_1 1/3 cup buttermilk_

_4 large eggs ( I do not use oil in my cakes, I think the eggs make it fluffier)._

_1 teaspoon vanilla extract_

_Preheat oven to 350F and put rack in center of oven. Grease and dust flour in pans shaking out excess. Blend ingredients in large bowl for 3 minutes and divide into the cake pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes, by this time you should be able to press a finger on the cakes and they will spring back. While the cakes are baking you will need to make the whipped cream make sure you have at least an electric mixer or you will drive yourself crazy and get really sore (I have a stand mixer as I do a lot of baking and cooking). _

_The whipped cream is super easy, only two ingredients for this, its whipping it up that can take time. One cup heavy whipping cream and ¼ cup powdered sugar, beat until it has thickened, that is it! You are done making whipped cream (I make huge batches of this for the holidays as all my family is now spoiled by real whipped cream and will not touch that store bought stuff)._

_Now once the cake is done and cooled remove it from the pans and put a small drop of whipped cream on the plate and carefully put the first layer of cake on the plate and take small jar of blackberry jam and spread it evenly on the top of this lay of cake (I recommend as with the cake mix it be organic as you get a higher quality of product). Put the second layer on top of this and frost with whipped cream. On top of the cake place blackberries on the edge of the cake, say sixteen, the put eight closer to the center. Take bar of dark chocolate, potato peeler and shave the chocolate on top of the cake, and you have a dessert to die for._


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